The present invention relates to providing a method as well as a pin and socket connector capable of providing a connector in a daisy chain configuration on a cable and, in particular, to a method as well as a pin and socket connector capable of terminating either conductors of a multiconductor flat cable, or conductors of a multiple conductor round cable, to the pin and socket type connector in a daisy chain configuration.
Connectors for terminating a flat ribbon cable in a daisy chain configuration are known. Typical connectors for terminating a ribbon style cable in a daisy chain configuration are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,068,912, 4,410,229 and 4,668,039. These connectors are designed to terminate ribbon cable to a connector having receptacle contacts for reception on a corresponding array of square posts.
A pin and socket connector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,062,616, 4,241,970 and RE 32,439 capable of terminating a flat ribbon cable in a daisy chain configuration. These patents disclose connectors having contacts that terminate to a single array of conductors which permits a ribbon cable to be terminated to contacts secured in the connector, then pass through the connector to continue in the daisy chain configuration. High density connectors, such as the AMPLIMITE 0.050 Series connector sold by the assignee, typically have contacts with insulation displacement cable terminating sections in two, oppositely-facing arrays which do not permit terminating a ribbon cable in the manner of the connectors disclosed in the above patents.
A ribbon cable may be folded over with the conductors of the cable terminated to two arrays of contacts. A first portion of the conductors of a cable is terminated in staggered terminals on a first level and the remaining conductors are terminated to spaced contacts on a second level, as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,935. This approach, however, is not suited to daisy chain applications as it does not permit the cable to be received from a previous connector in the daisy chain configuration at a first side of a terminating connector and pass from a second side of the terminating connector to a subsequent connector in the daisy chain configuration. Furthermore, another problem is introduced: the pin assignments between the cable conductor and contacts is very limited and may not be consistent, depending upon how the conductors of the folded cable are oriented with respect to the two levels of contacts at each connector.